An Orphan's Story
by JerseyGirl
Summary: Before becoming a deputy mayor Callie was nothing more than a abandoned kitten living in a run down orphanage that's closing for good. Can Callie find the family she never had her whole kitten life, or could she wish for something she never wanted?


**Author's note**: Hi guys! Well, this story goes one day while I was sitting around somewhere I thought to my self, " Hey, why not make a story about Callie's past life! I'll be cool!" But I never did it because I thought it would probably contradict to the main stories I'm writing now or it would suck so bad I had to take it off of ff.net. And I'll be hard because Callie didn't really show more of a personality on the show. So after much persuasion to myself, many title changes, and typing on the keyboard, I finally decided to post this story to you. (Don't that make you feel special inside :)

**DISCLAIMER**: I, the author of this fic, do not own the cartoon show Swat Kats or the characters in the show, it is owned by Hanna Barbera and Turnner. BUT they do not own any of the characters who were not in the original show (the character's I made up I mean) Also, if this Fanfic (or chapter's) resembles or is identical to another fanfic that another author typed or wrote it is purely coincidental and I am sorry.

Just think of the story as a prequel, I guess.

Anyway, I hope the story is good. Don't forget to Review!

An Orphan's Story 

By: Jerseygirl

In the large metropolis of Mega Kat City was a red brick building that had a long black gate with spears on top. The building was old, so old that few of the windows had cracks. Moreover, the building was not up to par with its repairs, half of the cracks in the windows were tape so cold air won't escape through the window during the winter. Despite being in unlivable surroundings, the building is very special because of one person behind the main doors of Elisions All Girls Orphanage who will one day become a very special woman. But none of this ever happened yet to this special little girl because she lived here for most of her kitten life, until today.

In one of the chambers inside Elisions All Girl Orphanage there was a row of eleven empty bunk beds with dark green covers parallel to each other. Near the end of the row on the right side of the wall was the twelfth bed. Somebody was already curled up inside their covers and was still sleeping. The only part of the kitten you could see was the unkempt sunny blonde hair. And she could have kept sleeping if it wasn't for the late morning sun's bright rays beaming through the thin sheets covering her face. Tiredly she moaned. " It's not breakfast time yet."

She lazily opened her eyes and looked out the window. She realized it was morning, late morning. She gasped, " Holy cats!" Immediately she rolled out of bed and opened her drawer that was place next to her bed. Quickly she madly sort out the disorganized drawer, " I gotta hurry! I gotta hurry! Before it's too late!" Finally she found what she was looking for. A once cute short sleeve dress that now has dirt, dust and was tattered on the sleeves and ends. Any other mother would throw it away but this was the little girl's only dress. She put on the outfit first; her black raggedy shoes, and fixed her thinning, tangy blond hair into ponytails.

She ran as fast as she can down the corridor until she skidded to a halt in front of a large double door that had the large wooden sign: _Mess Hall_. Inside were girls of all ages and sizes eating or already finishing their breakfast. The girl sighed sadly while she started to walk towards the kitchen. " Please let there be something left for me." She sighed. Since she was kind of short for her age the counter was a few inches over her head. So on the tips of her toes she stood on and wave her hand for one of the cafeteria ladies to see her. " Hey! Down here." She called out. One of the old cafeteria ladies who worn tacky make up lean over the counter and found the blonde kitten looking up at her with her green orbs. " What d'ya want…Uhh…What's ya name again kid??"

" Calico Hughes." The child said with no enthusiasm.

" Oh yeah, you."

The girl frowned. It was Ms. Mutters, the cafeteria woman who she didn't like. She had rubbery, wrinkly, skin and a big, round, brown mole right in the middle of her left cheek, a long crinkled hair was growing on top of it. She didn't cared for any of the girls in the orphanage, especially the girl named Calico and the other way around, and adding to the fact Mrs. Mutters never memorized the kitten's name the girl named Calico never like her. Mrs. Mutters was known for her deep scratchy voice from smoking too many cigarettes. In fact she had a lit cigarette dangling in her mouth right now. The little kitten never liked the smell of her cigarettes.

" Uhh, excuse me Mrs. Mutters I…uhh." Calico fold her arms behind her back and swayed her legs left to right while giving a friendly smile at the lunch woman, who didn't look like she was affected by it. Calico continued, " I accidentally woke up late this morning and I know it's that special day today because it's the Pick up Sunday day today and I was wondering if I can get something to eat? _Please_?" The kitten said in a persuading way. Ms. Mutters leaned over with an unfriendly look smeared on her face. " You know the rules _Hughes." She grabbed a small tin bowl and tossed it to the girl Calico. The kitten grabbed the bowl and looked at it and inside was cold oatmeal. _

" Enjoy." Ms. Mutters grinned evil. Calico tossed the bowl on the counter and hissed, " I can't eat that! You can't do this! Isn't this against the law?!" The smoker took the cigarette out of her mouth and tapped the ashes into the bowl, " Kid, do ya think the city will give a damn for a orphan like you?" Casually she pushed it over to Calico and started to growl, " You should be lucky I'm givin' this crud to you or give you anythin' at all." And with that she grabbed the gate and slammed it down leaving the girl named Calico the oatmeal with cigarette ashes on top. She started to really feel alone when some of the older girls started to snicker and laugh at her unfortunate expense. The blond girl just sighed and grabbed the bowl. " …But I hate oatmeal..." Calico said. As if she was trying to remind Ms. Mutters.

The cafeteria had six rows of long tables with many chairs; most of them were wobbly or near to collapse, but all the girls were sitting in their chairs eating their warm breakfast's. Calico found an empty chair but unfortunately it was next to one of the most notorious girls for being obnoxious in the orphanage, Mangie. Calico walked up to the chair and grabbed it giving Mangie an unfriendly glance. " 'Cuse me Mangie."

" That's my seat Calico." Mangie hissed. Her gooiness started to snicker underneath their breath. Callie gave her the stink eye. She would have gave Mangie a piece of her mind but she was already in trouble anyway. Instead she growled, " Alright then." She let go of Mangie's friend chair and grabbed the other one that was next to it.

" That's my other seat so let go!"

" Then what chair can I take, _Mangie_?" Calico yelled she slide the seat over to her side. Mangie grabbed it and slides it back to her side, " Nothin'!"

Calico grabbed the chair and slide it back to her side, " That's isn't fair!"

Mangie slid the chair back to her, " Who cares what you think what's fair!".

" Gimme the chair!" Calico yelled.

" No!" Mangie yelled.

" Gimme!"

" Okay!" Mangie let go of the chair, which caused Calico to fall back on her back with the chair on top of her stomach. Everyone in the cafeteria turned around and stood up looking at what just happened. Some of them laughed. A rush of humiliation and anger rushed through Calico's blood. She wanted to shred Mangie into ribbons so bad it completely blinded all her thoughts. She looked on her left and found a tray still left with some food left on the plate. Quickly Calico grabbed the tray and threw it at Mangie hitting her right on her face. Mangie screamed, " Ow! My face! Look what you did to my face!"

Calico was about to sit there and laugh her tail off until someone yelled, " _Calico Hughes_!" Everyone in the cafeteria hushed and suddenly whispers. " It's Ms. Mannheim." One of the younger girls whispered to one of her friends, " Man is she's in trouble."

Ms. Mannheim was very tall from the eyes of younger girls and was around the height of the older girls. She was the vice leader and the disciplinary of the orphanage. Unfortunately she wasn't any of the girl's favorite, especially Calico's. In fact someone said she almost look like the wicked witch from some old 30's movie.

Quickly Ms. Mannheim stomped straight to Calico yelling, " Get up _now_!" Ms. Mannheim always knew how to bring fear into the girl's spirit by using the tone of her voice. Quickly Calico stood up and looked at Ms. Mannheim. Her bright green eyes began to show how alarmed she was. The disciplinary tightly grabbed Calico's arm and growled in her face, " What in the world possessed you to throw that."

Calico suddenly felt herself to shrink," M— Mangie let go of the chair and— and—"

" Stop stuttering you silly little twit!" Ms. Mannheim said while shaking the blond girl into her senses. " Now tell me— aw forget it your baffled to answer a simple question." She threw down Calico's arm and looked at Mangie. Who also feared Ms. Mannheim as much as Calico. " Are you injured?" Ms. Mannheim questioned.

Mangie just shook her head side to side. 

" Don't nod your head like a jackass, speak child!"

" I—I don't know." Mangie said. As if she was trying to push her answer out. But it didn't work.

" Fine." Ms. Mannheim looked at a little unassuming Siamese cat who was a little older then Calico. Ms. Mannheim pointed at her with her skinny finger with a long nail at the end, " You!" The little Siamese cat look as if she was going to faint, " Me?"

" Yes you! Go and take her to the infirmary." Ms. Mannheim ordered.

" Y—yes m'am." The Siamese cat softly grabbed Mangie's hand and walked her out of the cafeteria. Calico thought Ms. Mannheim forgot all about her the disciplinary turned to her with spitefulness in her eyes, " And as for you." She grabbed Calico's arm once again this time a little tighter then when she first held on to her, " You're going back to your quarters!"

" What!" Calico cried.

" For the whole afternoon!" Ms. Mannheim growled as she started to pull her out of the mess hall, " We don't need a trouble maker like you causing a scene in front of our guest."

" But I didn't do anything, Mangie did!"

" Shut up!" Miss. Mannheim shouted toward Calico. She pushed open the cafeteria doors; they were now in the hallway. " I don't want to hear any excuses from you, child!" She growled, " Trying to cause a scene, especially on this day. Nobody, absolutely nobody, wouldn't adopt any of the girls with you around messing up everything. " 

Suddenly laughter could be heard inside the cafeteria Miss. Mannheim sighed angrily, " What's going on now!?" She shoved off Calico's arm away and rolled up her sleeves. She mumbled, " These girls, like _you_ Calico, don't know how to be civilized enough to be left alone!" She started to walk away from Calico towards the mess hall doors. She yelled, " And I don't want you to move from that spot Hughes!" She burst open the doors and a few seconds later Calico could hear her voice yelling at the girls. Any other girl would have stood there like they were told to but Calico instead rolled her eyes, turned her back and started walking away. This wasn't as if this wasn't the first time she was in trouble with Ms. Mannheim but this was worse, she was stuck in her room for the whole important day. 

She walked down the end of the hall where a large window was wide opened but in front of the window was rectangular bars so nobody could enter in or exit out. An old chair that was sitting against the window wall had a green leather cover over the seat. Thick yellow cotton threads were sticking out of the leather. Calico walked over to the chair and turned it around so the left side of the chair could side with the wall. She plopped down on it and stared at the window. She said, " How come everything bad happens to me and me only?" She realized she still had the small bowl filled with cold oatmeal in the palm of her hands. She despised the fact that oatmeal wasn't one of her favorite foods but she was getting a little hungry so she tried pulling the spoon out of the bowl. It wouldn't budge. Calico pulled as hard as she can and she finally got the spoon out, but the hard, rubbery looking oatmeal was on the end of it like a lollipop. The little shecat just sat there looking at the oatmeal lollipop. She sighed with stressed and tossed the bow and the oatmeal lollipop out of the window. " I _really_ hate oatmeal." She said. 

Calico leaned her head on top of the window's railing and a light summer breeze flowed through the window and played with Calico's short, thin bangs. She watched the people on the street walking by doing their average thing during a Sunday afternoon. A group of kittens and a few girls running along with them by the bar gate with paper hats and wooden swords. They looked like they were playing tag or some game kittens on the outside would play. It would have been impossible for the kids to play that type of game in here Calico thought. Miss. Mannheim would have stopped them for having too much fun. She wished she were running with those kittens, in fact she wanted to be those kittens. Who never have to deal with fighting over a seat or have a mommy, daddy or anybody who cares for her. She would cut off her tail just to experience that for one day.

" Calico?" A feline called out. Calico turned her head and found Ms. Blanche her personal social worker. Out of all the adults she knew Ms. Blanche was probably one of the nicest. It would have been a dream come true for Ms. Blanche to be with her longer then their meeting's last, but Calico wasn't Ms. Blanche only child to tend for in the city. 

" Hi Misses. Blanche." Calico greeted halfheartedly.

" And hello to you Miss. Hughes." She greeted, " I see your wearing your special dress again huh? What's it called again—oh yeah—pick up day." 

" Uh huh." Calico answered without a care in her voice.

 Ms. Blanche smiled at her but her eyes showed the true meaning of that smile, she was worried. She knelled down to Calico's height and patted her on the back, " What's wrong Cal, last time I've seen you everything was going smoothly."

" I woke up late and then that stupid cafeteria lady gave me oatmeal and she knows I don't like oatmeal, and Mangie got me in trouble again." Calico pouted. She tightened her grip on her dress and growled,  " And its not fair Mangie started the fight."

 " Oh did she?" Ms. Blanche said.

" Uh huh. But Ms. Mannheim told me to go back to my room and I have to miss Pick up day. You see Ms. Blanche, she hates me."

" She doesn't _hate_ you Calico." The social worker assured, " She's just a little stressed out nowadays since the orphanage is closing—wait— I shouldn't have said that."

Calico's green eyes brighten up in disbelief, " What!" Ms. Blanche shushed her. She looked around making sure nobody was in the hallway, " I don't know how to explain this to a kitten your age. You see Cal, the city were living in is running out of money so they decided to close down orphanages and Elision's one of them."

" So? Isn't that good." Calico said with half a smile, " I don't have to stay here no more."

" That's not entirely the case." Ms. Blanche stated, " They decided that the best place to put kitten's who wasn't adopted yet was into a military boot camp school or another orphanage that's out of the state. I don't know what's the quality of the orphanage is like so I don't know if its good or bad."

" I don't wanna go in a boot camp school!" Calico cried, " Or another orphanage."

Ms. Blanche apologized to the poor girl who looked about she was about to cry, " I'm sorry Calico I didn't make this up, the higher ups did. They said it'll happen four weeks from now but this city goes when it wants to so it can be any time." Calico just sat there in disbelief. She couldn't believe how they could just shut down the orphanage. Even thought she didn't like it one bit she would miss it a little. But she didn't want to live in another orphanage or some military school. She heard stories about kittens getting hurt in those places, and the adults don't like kittens anyway. Ms. Blanche stood up and brushed herself off while still looking at Calico who was sulking with despair. She cleared her throat, " Well, maybe I can get you a head start and let you go."

Calico's eyes brighten up she jumped out of her seat jumping up and down while holding on her Ms. Blanche's skirt with her hands, " Really?"

" Yep. I can probably persuade Ms. Mannheim letting you go but if I cant don't let yourself be known that much, promise."

" Cross my heart!" Calico said. She ran down the hall and into the stairwell she was out of Ms. Blanche sight. Ms. Blanch closed her eyes and shook her head side-to-side hoping not to see that little girl's disappointed face after the meeting with the prospective parents was over.

Time passed and about twenty kittens were taken to their new home, ten kittens were reunited back to their families, and six older girls left the orphanage to live in group homes. Calico wasn't either of them. She didn't want to meet Ms. Blanche after the end of the special day because when she does she felt really bad. So she went into the recreation room instead for the rest of the day. The recreation room was always dusty and had scratchy wooden floors. They had old board games with missing pieces, cards, and a old black and white television that used a antenna for reception that likes to work when it want to. Calico was sitting on the old soiled sofa aimlessly watching the television fade from snow to clear. After a while she wasn't paying attention to anything but was in her own little world. 

A group of twelve year old walked in the reception area but the most outstanding girls in the group was a pair of twelve-year-old twins with freckles were arguing at each other trying to adjust the antenna.

" No Lily that atenna goes like a _L _I told ya! I saw Mandy fixing it this mornin'" Lily was the feline with long brown hair put up in a ponytail and a cap; she was wearing stonewashed jeans a blue baseball tee.

" Na-Huh Lili it goes like a _V_ not a _L_! I saw some kid just tap it once and the cartoons came on like that." Lili was the other feline whose long brown hair was out. She was wearing a blue jumper. 

They looked at Calico who's looked like she was in a trance. Lily scratched her hair and shouted, " Hey Blondie!" Calico snapped out of her trance and looked around for that voice." Hey you!" Lila yelled. The other girls in the group giggled at her.

" Me?" Calico said. She pointed to herself. 

" Yeah you what d'ya think," Lila said, " Can ya tell us when the TV starts actin' stupid, alright?" Calico nodded her head and yawned. " Sure."

The freckled twins started to twist and turn the antenna around and not one position worked. Lily growled and screamed, " This piece of crud is never going to work!" She hit the antenna causing it to swerve around stopping at its key position. The TV began to get a clear signal.

" Wow!" Lily said with amazement, " You got it!"

" I did?"

Lili plopped down on the sofa and smiled, " I bet ya got that fix 'em up genes from our pop."

" We never saw our pop or mom. Just our grandma, remember?" Lily said.

" Oh, well we can finally watch our favorite TV show—"

" Beverly Hills High!" All the girls shouted with glee. 

All the older girls who were in the room turned their head and whisper to one another walking towards the television some even stopped their games just to watch the show. Calico sighed in annoyance. 

Ever since she was forced to watch Beverly Hills High when it first went on air she always reminded herself never to watch that show again. All they do in the show was kiss stupid icky boys who girls think were cute and would giggle when they see the guy. " Can we watch something else," Calico begged, " Please?"

" NO!" All the girls shouted.

" This show is stupid." Calico protested. She jumped off the couch and went in front of the TV. The older girls started to complain about Calico's complaint of the show.  " Why would all the girls kiss icky boys for?!" Calico said, " _Yuck_! Boys are gross!" At that time Calico thought boys were really gross. 

" I wish I was kissed by a _icky_ boy." Lili said dreamily, " I remember when I use to think like that."

Lily grabbed Calico's arm and pulled her out of the way. She scolded, " Look kid either ya shut ya pie hole and watch the show or go ta bed!" 

Calico sat on top of her bed with her legs curled up against her. She rather go to bed then watch that show. The room was now lit by assorted electric lamps placed on the nightstands. Most of the light bulbs blew out so six remained in the room that worked. Two sisters, one around the age of five and another girl who was two years older than her younger sister were reading their mail from their traveling father who was on a cargo ship on some faraway continent. Calico stared aimlessly at the kittens with their bright young eyes while the older one, with a little trouble, read the letter. Calico couldn't stand looking at the two and turned her backs towards them and look straight out the window, where the city was illuminated with orange streetlights.

She wondered if her mother or father ever cared for her like that, Calico thought sometimes. Did they ever written a letter to her, a note, or even left something else. Most of the kittens here do have a parent or two that just don't have the money to take care of them. So they put them here until one day they can step in and take them home. Most of the girls have what Calico calls them 'crazy' parents. Like one girl who's mother constantly gets in trouble with the Enforcers, or another girl who mother just came in with her on one of the special days and walked out of the building. But some of them stop acting crazy and they do come back. Calico on the other hand is what they call an allycat orphan. An allycat orphan was worse than an orphan because an orphan's parent past away, but she was different. Her parents weren't crazy, poor, or dead. What her parents did to rid themselves of the burden was place the small baby Calico on the footsteps of the orphanage on one rainy night, place a note on her soggy blanket and without hesitation walked away. The only thing that was left behind was a warm cotton candy colored blanket that was rapped around her body to keep her warm. The paper, according to Ms. Blanche the note told her full name, age, and thanked anyone who took care of her.

Calico snapped out of it. " _What's the point of thinking about that stuff_?" She thought. Most of the older girls were walking in taking about Beverly Hill's High in a bubbly type of high of who kissed whom and who was cute while they change their clothes to their pajamas or whatever suitable for them to sleep in. She sat herself up and kicked her shoes off to the floor and quickly changed into her thin white nightgown. Suddenly Ms. Mannheim jerked opened the door and looked into the room with a disgusted look plastered on her face, " Lights out." She ordered. All the girls rushed to their beds and went underneath the covers. Ms. Mannheim cut the lights off and growled. " And don't even think about sneaking off the grounds." Ms. Mannheim shut the door. Calico could hear her shoes making that eerie noise as it strikes against the floor. And before Calico went to sleep she wished someone out there would care to take her in before Elisions closed down.

To Be Continued!

Stick around for the next segment of _A Orphan's Story_.


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